Girdle construction



June 14, 1966 E. A. FREI 3,255,756

GIRDLE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 16, 1964 INVENTOR. E M 1 L AF R ElUnited States Patent O.

3,255,756 GERDLE CUNSTRUCTIGN Emil Albert Frei, Hackensack, NJ.,assignor to Swisstex Company, West New York, NJ. Filed Mar. 16, 1964,Ser. No. 352,132 6 Claims. (Cl. 12S-548) This invention relates to agirdle construction in which predetermined sections or panels are madeof relatively elastic material arranged to stretch in strategic-allyselected directions for various functional purposes. Although theinvention will herein more fully be described in terms of itsappli-cation to a girdle, it will be understood that the term girdle asherein Iused is intended to encompass various forms of foundationgarments such as girdles proper, girdle-and-panty combinations,girdle-and-brief combinations, and foundation garments of like or alliednature.

The general object of this invention is the provision of a multipanel ormulti-section girdle or the like wherein predetermined panels orsections are made of elastic material oriented or biased to stretch inpredetermined directions whi-le other panels or sections are made ofrelatively inelastic material in areas where stretch is to be avoided.

More specifically, it is the `general object of this invention toprovide a girdle or like garment having Aa centrally located inelasticpanel in the front, either inelastic or elastic centrally located panelsin ytheback portion thereof, and a plurality of elastic sections onopposite sides of said centrally located panels. In addition, there isanother elastic panel' situate-d above the back panel of the garment. Asthe drawing will clearly show, each of the elastic panels or sections isoriented or biased to stretch in predetermined directions coincidingwith the support requirements of the wearer. In this connection it willbe understood that the inelastic and elastic centrally located panelsare not an essential feature -of the invention since the entire girdlemay be made solely of individually oriented and biased elastic panels.

The invention may be applied to garments utilized by persons in normalhealth and bodily condition for the usual purposes of a foundationgarment. On the other hand, it may also be applied to garments intendedfor use by persons having abnormal bodily conditions such as those whohave had abdominal surgery and require strategically located andoriented elastic support.

The invention may be applied to 4the front of the garment or to the backof the garment, or to both the front and back. Many variations andfunctional designs are possible combinations, depending upon theparticular requirements of prospective wearers of the garment. In short,depending upon such requirements, the panels and sections of the garmentmay be cut to predetermined sizes and shape, placed in predeterminedlocations, and arranged in accordance with predetermined stretchrequirements, namely, the extent and direction of stretch.

An important feature of the invention is the method of achieving stretchin any given or selected direction. The panel or section to whichstretch is to be imparted is out from `a sheet of uni-directionalstretch material, the direction of stretch of the material being sooriented with respect t-o the shape of the panel or section as toprovi-de such panel or section with a direction of stretch ofpredetermined orientation or bias.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view showing a garment made in accordance withthis invention, showing the garment worn on the person.

FIGURE 2 is 'an enlarged front View of said garment.

FlGURE 3 is an enlarged back view thereof.

3,255,756 Patented June 14, 1966 ICC- FIGURE 4 is av plan view of asheet of uni-directional stretch material, showing one of the sectionsof the garment outlined thereon in such position as to provide saidsection with -a predetermined direction of stretch.

Dealing now with the specific details of the invention as illustrated inthe drawing, it will be observed that girdle 10 is provided with a frontportion 12 as illustrated in FIGURE 2, and a back portion 14 asillustrated in FIGURE 3. Adjacent marginal areas of said front and backportions constitute the sides of the garment. In other words, FGURES 2and 3 illustrate not only the front and back portions of the garment,but also its side portions.

Referring in the rst instance to the iront portion of the garment, itwill be noted that a center panel 16 is provided, said center panelextending from the crotch line 18 to the Waist line 20. It may be aninelastic panel provided with stays or stiifeners 22 or it may beelastic with a vertical direction of stretch. The preferred shape ofsaid center panel is clearly illustrated in FIGURE 2, wherein it will beseen that it tapers outwardly from a relatively narrow crotch portion toa relatively wide abdominal portion and rthence tapers inw-ardly to arelatively narrow waist portion.

Flanking the upper waist portion of said inelastic center panel is apair of upper side elastic sections 24 and 26, respectively. Below theseupper side elastic sections is a pair of intermediate elastic sections28 and 30, respectively, which are connected to the relatively wideabdominal portion of the inelastic center panel. Below said intermediateelastic :sections isV a pair of lower elastic panels 32 and 34,respectively, which are attached to the relatively narrow crotch portionof the center inelastic panel.

Arrows 36 and 38 show that the directions of stretch of the two upperelastic sections 24 and 26 `are generally horizontal. The lower sections32 and 34 are also oriented to stretch in generally horizontaldirections, as indicated by arrows 40 and 42. Arrows 44 and 46 on sidesections 28 and 30 show that the directions of stretch of said sidesections are generally vertical, but nevertheless slightly inclinedtoward each other in converging relationship in upward direction.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the generally horizontalstretch of upper sections 24 and 26 affects the waist portion of thewearer; the generally horizontal stretch of lower sections 32 and 34affects the thigh portions of the wearer; and the generally verticalstretch of the intermediate sections 28 and 30 affects the abdominalportion of the wearer. However, the most important uplifting `action isprovided by the intermediate sections 2S and 30, whose directions ofstretch are slightly inclined upwardly and toward each other from thetrue vertical. I-t is here where the abdominal tissues require andreceive the greatest amount of uplifting and confining support. Thesupporting action of these various elastic sections 24, 26, 28, 30, 32and 34 is transmitted to the center portions of the wearers Waist andabdomen through the inelastic center panel 20.

The back of the garment may also be provided with a center panel 50which extends from the -bottom edge 52 of the back of the lgarment to aline somewhat short of the waist line 54 of said back portion of thegarment. This panel rnay be elastic with a vertical direction of stretchas indicated by the vertical arrow 51 thereon. An elastic section 56occupies the area between said waist line 54 and the upper end of saidpanel 50.

It will be undersood that back panel 50 covers the hip portions of thewearer and upper panel 56 extends across the back of the waist. In thisconnection it Will be noted that back panel 50 tapers inwardly at itsupper end to coincide with the upper elastic panel 56. It is relativelywide in the hip area and tapers slightly inwardly in the direction oftheweareris thi ghs.

Elastic side sections 58 and 60 are secured to the opposite sides of theabove-mentioned panels 50 and 56. They follow the contours of the sideedges of said center panels, yas FIGURE 3 clearly shows.

Arrow 62 on panel 56 extends horizontally and indicates horizontaldirections of stretch for said panel. Arrows 64 and 66 on sections 65and 67 also extend horizontally, showing that the directions of stretchfor said sections are similarly horizontal, and this is also true ofarrows 68 and 70 on sections 69 and 71. Intermediate sections 58 and 60may also have horizontal directions of stretch or inclined directions ofstretch as indicated by the dotted arrows 59 and 61.

The girdle yis provided with front garters 72 and 74 secured to thelower edges of sections 32 and 34, and with rear garters 76 and 7Ssecured to lthe lower edges of sections 58 `and `60. These are, ofcourse, conventional garters for supporting the wearers stockings andthey merely illustrate the fact that in all other respects garment 10shown in the drawing is conventional.

Other conventional aspects of the present construction include themethod of attaching the several panels and sections to each other. Allof the side edges of each panel or section are securely attached to theside edges of contiguous panels or sections by means of conventionalstitching, including stretch-type stitching between stretchtype panels.Non-stretchable stitching may be used along the side edges of theinelastic panels.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, it will be noted that a sheet of stretchmaterial S is provided with longitudinal stretch warp threads andtransverse non-stretch iill threads. Arrow 81 indicates the direction ofstretch as being longi tudinal. Section 30 is :shown in such positionand orientation relative to sheet 80 that, when cut therefrom and sewedinto the garment, it acquires ya direction of stretch indicated by arrow46 in FIGURE 2.

The foregoing is illustrative of a preferred form of the invention andit will be clearly understood that this form may be modified and otherforms may be provided within the broad scope of the invention and of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A girdle construction of the character described, comprising a frontpanel, a back panel, three elastic side sections contiguous with thefront panel on each side thereof, three elastic side sectionscontiguouswith said Aback panel on each side thereof, all secured toeach other along their respective contiguous side edges, the uppermostand lowermost of said front and back side sections being stretchable ingenerally horizontal directions, intermediate sections of said front andIback side sections each having its stretch direction extending ingenerally vertical but slightly inclined direction toward each other inupwardly converging relationship, whereby said intermediate sectionsprovide uplifting `and confining support.

2. A girdle construction in accordance with claim 1, wherein the frontpanel is also elastic and is provided with `a generally vertical stretchdirection.

3. A girdle construction in accordance with claim 1, wherein the frontpanel is inelastic.

4. A girdle construction in accordance with claim 1, wherein the backpanel is also elastic and is provided a generally vertical stretchdirection.

5. A girdle construction in accordance with claim 1, wherein the backpanel is inelastic.

6. A girdle Iconstruction in accordance with claim 1,

` wherein the back panel extends from the bottom of the References Citedby the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,675,548 4/1954 Leonard 12S-5463,066,345 1.0/1961 Rockwell 12S-548 3,133,541 5/1964 Lewis et al.1'28-540 ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

1. A GIRDLE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A FRONTPANEL, A BACK PANEL, THREE ELASTIC SIDE SECTIONS CONTIGUOUS WITH THEFRONT PANEL ON EACH SIDE THEREOF, THREE ELASTIC SIDE SECTIONS CONTIGUOUSWITH SAID BACK PANEL ON EACH SIDE THEREOF, ALL SECURED TO EACH OTHERALONG THEIR RESPECTIVE CONTIGUOUS SIDE EDGES, THE UPPERMOST ANDLOWERMOST OF SAID FRONT AND BACK SIDE SECTIONS BEING STRETCHABLE INGENERALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONS, INTERMEDIATE SECTIONS OF SAID FRONT ANDBACK SIDE SECTIONS EACH HAVING